Limited view.

[Shooie]

I have a 2017 Focus. 

I find that my view is restricted by the size of the windscreen struts, the passenger headrest, the door posts, and the glare that seems to be reflected from the facia on top of the dashboard...

Is it just me??... Tried moving the seat a bit but it makes no difference.  

My "old" Mondeo didn't give me such problems..  

Plus... I find it real difficult to clean the inside of the windscreen...

Maybe Im just getting old 😞

 

[pcaouolte]

No, its not just you. As they continue to "improve" the safety of modern cars they seem to forget that it is important for the driver to have a good view of their surroundings. Perhaps they are trying to limit the driver's view so that they can convince us that driverless cars are better.

I have to stand outside the car with the doors open to reach the bottom of the windscreen to clean it.

I am also able to guarantee that I wont die young. 😀 

[ScaniaPBman]

As far as screen reflections are concerned try searching your favourite internet marketing place for 'focus car dashboard cover'

I purchased mine from a seller from China 3 or 4 years ago.

It came quickly, fitted well and has not faded in the sunlight. Makes vision much better especially driving into low bright light.

Make sure you order one to suit your drive side ie. left or right hand drive.

ScaniaPBman

[TomsFocus]

10 hours ago, Shooie said:

Plus... I find it real difficult to clean the inside of the windscreen...

I found one of these just about reached across the enormous dash on the Mk3...  

 

Rear visibility is also horrendous on the Mk3, but it's the same story on the Mk7 Fiesta, and most other modern cars.  Safety regs mean that less glass and bigger pillars get you more stars on the NCAP test.  Personally, I also found the mirrors were mounted poorly in the Mk3 compared the Mk2, they're exactly the same part so it must be the mounting height or angle that's different.

[StephenFord]

I have used one of these telescopic handled thingies for cleaning the inside of my screen for years in different cars. Usually available in Lidl every few weeks for about £3, or online too.

 

[F0CUE]

6 hours ago, StephenFord said:

I have used one of these telescopic handled thingies for cleaning the inside of my screen for years in different cars. Usually available in Lidl every few weeks for about £3, or online too.

 

Yep I use them too so much easier to clean the bottom and the rear aswell. 

[Carl123]

On 11/11/2020 at 9:10 AM, StephenFord said:

I have used one of these telescopic handled thingies for cleaning the inside of my screen for years in different cars. Usually available in Lidl every few weeks for about £3, or online too.

I find that a small child held upside down can get all the way down to the very bottom of the windscreen to clean it, just using their tiny fingers and a wet cloth

[StephenFord]

2 hours ago, Carl123 said:

I find that a small child held upside down can get all the way down to the very bottom of the windscreen to clean it, just using their tiny fingers and a wet cloth

Hope you got them to wash their hands first after cleaning out the chimney LOL

[TomsFocus]

On 11/11/2020 at 3:45 PM, F0CUE said:

Yep I use them too so much easier to clean the bottom and the rear aswell. 

Roman style?  I suppose that's one way to avoid the loo roll shortages! 

[TomsFocus]

On 11/11/2020 at 9:10 AM, StephenFord said:

I have used one of these telescopic handled thingies for cleaning the inside of my screen for years in different cars. Usually available in Lidl every few weeks for about £3, or online too.

 

Can you actually clean a greasy/smeary window with these?  I never seem to be able to get rid of the smears with a cloth even at the points I can reach easily so tempted to try one...can't say I've seen them before!

[StephenFord]

4 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

Can you actually clean a greasy/smeary window with these?  I never seem to be able to get rid of the smears with a cloth even at the points I can reach easily so tempted to try one...can't say I've seen them before!

The pad on it is microfiber, I just spritz it with some good quality windscreen cleaner. Meguiars is my current favorite. It cleans then evaporates nicely. There is definitely a 'technique' but you'll work it out when you use it. I've never seen them in traditional shops like Halfords before, but like I say, Lidl have them every other month in their 'middle aisle', and I wouldn't be without one!

[TomsFocus]

8 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

The pad on it is microfiber, I just spritz it with some good quality windscreen cleaner. Meguiars is my current favorite. It cleans then evaporates nicely. There is definitely a 'technique' but you'll work it out when you use it. I've never seen them in traditional shops like Halfords before, but like I say, Lidl have them every other month in their 'middle aisle', and I wouldn't be without one!

Think I'll have to invest in one!  

[erictcleric]

Try applying a little isopropyl alcohol to a cloth and wiping the window with that before using glass cleaner. Gets rid of the grease, plus keeps the windscreen coronavirus-free! 

Safety tip: don't try that with tinted windows. 

[StephenFord]

3 minutes ago, erictcleric said:

Try applying a little isopropyl alcohol to a cloth and wiping the window with that before using glass cleaner.

 

...and as a bonus, it's now back to about £5 for a 500ml bottle, during lockdown, thieves were wanting £50 for same size! 🤣

[Botus]

its a massive issue with modern cars - the almost horizonal screen idea is a BAD side effect of euro NCAP 

compared to cars that had great visibility years back, the screen is twice as steep an angle and the screen pillars are 3 times as thick - the blind spot causes death of motorcyclists (cyclists deserve it) and if they collected data well, you would no doubt have high death rate where drivers fall off the road as they can't see where that are going at night. 

its also a massive issue creating stupid reflections with dash lights on the screen and side windows, then we get to driving in the rain and again the silly screen means another drastic drop in visibility - it really ought to be illegal - its why you need at least xenon's to see safety at night...…

it all depends where you come from.  If a motorcyclist the shock of 1/4 of your view being missing is extraordinary.  Then get 50% view of the dashboard top instead of anything outside, add some rain and dirty non wiped areas, a bit of LED glare, etc. and for a biker coming to a car at night for the first time its like 70% of what you are supposed to see is just impossible.

give it 10 years and you'll get used to the fact at night in the wrong conditions with rain you are basically driving 80% blind 

 

[Eric Bloodaxe]

19 minutes ago, Botus said:

(cyclist deserve it)

Lol. You certainly won't like the next round of proposed amendments to the Highway Code which, in the event of an accident with a cyclist, basically shift the presumption of fault firmly onto drivers of powered vehicles.

But I agree on visibilty. Mentioned on here before how my optometrist says it's the most common concern with his customers. He tells me my eyes are fine, so I ask why can't I see in the dark compared to years ago and he says its down to the design of modern cars and lighting systems.

Very hard now to find a car with good visibility, but my Mrs has the SEAT badged version of the VW Up! which is very good by modern standards - fairly upright screen, large glass area all round, big sensibly shaped mirrors. When I get in that after my Fiesta it's like sitting in a goldfish bowl!😃 

 

 

 

 

 

[Stoney871]

Move to the Netherlands, traffic law states thay cyclists have right of way everywhere and if a car hits one they are instantly legally at fault.
(Also strange seeing mopeds riding over crossings there).

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

[Botus]

I added the s on cyclist (on my one)

 

seeing as motorists PAID for the roads and still pay to use them (and don't go out in packs deliberately terrorising others and aiming to cause congestion), cyclist should be forced to find other routes and NOT the footpath where it is still illegal to ride

[Eric Bloodaxe]

I don't have a cycle at present, but had 2 roadbikes and a mountain bike in my shed until fairly recently, and have cycled regularly most of my life, with (I like to think) consideration for other road users. So I don't have anything against cycling in principle (despite being very seriously injured in an accident caused by an uninsured cyclist riding illegally, a few years back!).

Recent governments have not helped by implying there is something green and virtuous about cycling, whereas in many cases cycling only adds to local congestion. Where a bike is used instead of using an i/c engined vehicle - fine. And of course we are a long way behind our European counterparts in providing safe cycle lanes segregated from other road users. Painting a white line on the road and calling it a cycle lane is simply not good enough. 

I'm having an ongoing email dispute with my local council at the mo. At the local Park and Ride site you are encouraged to use the bus (obviously) but also to cycle from there. But there is a sign saying it you park and WALK from the site, £50 penalty. So if I park up and get my bike out of the boot and go off down a nearby path/cycle track, that's ok, but if I do the same and set of on foot, I get hit with a charge. I have yet to receive an explanation of the logic!

Not at all happy with skewing the rules of the road in favour of one form of transport or another. We all owe an equal duty of care to those around us, whether we are walking, cycling, or driving a powered vehicle.

 

[Shooie]

On 11/13/2020 at 5:12 PM, Botus said:

give it 10 years and you'll get used to the fact at night in the wrong conditions with rain you are basically driving 80% blind 

 

Cannot wait 10 years unfortunately.. I have a cataract that needs removing.. and I'm waiting, and waiting for the NHS to get back to normal !!!!

[StephenFord]

11 minutes ago, Shooie said:

Cannot wait 10 years unfortunately.. I have a cataract that needs removing.. and I'm waiting, and waiting for the NHS to get back to normal !!!!

I had that condition too before Covid - still had a 2 year waiting list for the operation!